1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a stacker apparatus suitably provided at an exit of an apparatus which sorts sheet-type media into a plurality of divisions in upward and downward directions and a printing apparatus having a function of stacking sheet-type media such as printing paper sheets in a plurality of stages.
2. Background Art
Heretofore, a printing apparatus of a printer, a copying machine or the like has in most cases been used solely by itself or used in a state wherein it is connected to a particular terminal. In recent years, however, the opportunity that a printing apparatus is used in a state where it is connected to a plurality of personal computers, office computers or the like by a LAN has been and is increasing. According to such a method of use as just described, there is an advantage that one printing apparatus can be shared to improve the operating ratio of the printing apparatus and save the installation space.
However, if the printing apparatus has only one exit for printed matters, then printed paper sheets of different terminals become mixed. Where the total amount of printed paper sheets is small, the burden of sorting work is light. However, as the total amount increases, the burden of sorting work increases, and this may possibly lower the efficiency in operation. Accordingly, it is convenient if the printing apparatus has exits for different terminals or for different operation contents and sorts printed paper sheets thereof suitably into corresponding exits.
Thus, recently where a printing apparatus is shared using a LAN as described above, a printing apparatus 100 which has a plurality of exits 106A to 106F as shown in FIG. 9 is used. In this printing apparatus 100, data inputted from different terminals are processed by a control station 102, and a designated cassette or a cassette for accommodating paper sheets corresponding to a printing area is selected from between paper feeding cassettes 103A, 103B. Then, a paper sheet is supplied from the selected paper feeding cassette to a print unit station 104, and the paper is printed by the print unit station 104 and the print is fixed by a fixing station 105, whereafter the printed matter is discharged to a suitable one of the exits 106A to 106F in a stacker station 101.
As an arrangement of the exits 106A to 106F, various arrangements such as an arrangement in upward and downward directions and an arrangement in a horizontal direction are possible. Normally, however, the exits 106A to 106F are arranged in upward and downward directions as shown in FIG. 9 from the point of view of reduction of the space or miniaturization of the apparatus. Further, trays 107A to 107F are provided for the exits 106A to 106F, respectively, and printed paper sheets are sorted for individual sorting destinations and stacked onto the trays 107A to 107F in the stacker station 101.
In this instance, the trays 107A to 107F can be allocated to the different terminals. For example, if it is assumed that personal computers 120, 121, an office computer 122 and a global server 123 as terminals are connected to one another by a LAN 124, then also the trays 107A to 107F are allocated to the individual terminals.
For example, the trays 107A, 107B are allocated to the personal computer 120, the trays 107C, 107D are allocated to the personal computer 121, the tray 107E is allocated to the office computer 122, and the tray 107F is allocated to the global server 123. Further, to the personal computers 120, 121 from which a great amount of prints is originated, the trays 107A, 107B and the trays 107C, 107D can be allocated to different operation contents.
In this manner, with the printing apparatus 100 having a plurality of exits 106A to 106F (trays 107A to 107F) described above, by allocating the trays 107A to 107F to individually different operations or terminals, the single printing apparatus can be used efficiently without causing the printed matters to be mixed.
However, also the printing apparatus 100 in this instance is not universal for all operation forms.
In particular, while there is an operation which involves a small amount of prints but involves a great number of sorting divisions, also another operation which involves a small number of sorting divisions but involves a great amount of prints for one division is present. In an operation which involves a great number of sorting divisions, the convenience is improved as the number of exits (number of trays) increases, but in another operation which involves a great amount of prints for one division, the convenience is improved as the stacking capacity of each tray increases. When the diversity of needs in recent years is taken into consideration, it is desirable to satisfy both of the demands. However, with the printing apparatus 100 described above, since both of the number of exits (number of trays) and the stacking capacity of the trays are fixed, it is difficult to satisfy such diversified needs as described above.
It is to be noted that, as a countermeasure for satisfying both of the demands described above, it is a possible idea to make the number of exits (number of trays) and the stacking capacity of the trays variable or to make both of the number of exits (number of trays) and the stacking capacity great. However, in the former case, the mechanism becomes complicated, resulting in increase of the cost, and in the latter case, the size of the apparatus becomes very great. Therefore, they are not sufficient as means for solving the subjects described above.
While the subjects of the conventional printing apparatus are described above, the subjects described above are not limited to such printing apparatus of a printer, a copying machine and so forth as described above, but are subjects common to general equipments which include a stacker apparatus which sorts comparatively thin articles such as, for example, a sorting machine (sorter) for mails or magazines and has a plurality of exits in upward and downward directions so that sorted articles are successively stacked.
The present invention has been made in view of such subjects as described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a stacker apparatus wherein the number of trays or the stacking capacity of trays can be set as required without inviting increase of the cost or increase in size of the apparatus.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus wherein the number of trays or the stacking capacity of a stacking station can be set as required without inviting increase of the cost or increase in size of the apparatus.
In order to attain the object described above, according to the present invention, a stacker apparatus which includes a plurality of trays for receiving sheet-like media discharged from two or more medium exits disposed in upward and downward directions separately and individually for the medium exits in a stacked state is characterized in that, between two upper and lower medium exits included in the two or more medium exits, a tray holder on which the upper side tray for receiving the sheet-like media discharged from the upper side medium exit of the two upper and lower medium exits in a stacked state can be removably and securely held is disposed, and that the tray holder is selectively changed over to one of a first state wherein the tray holder securely holds the upper side tray when the upper side tray is mounted thereon and a second state wherein the tray holder releases the upper side tray and operates integrally with the lower side tray provided for receiving the sheet-like media discharged from the lower side medium exit of the two upper and lower medium exits in a stacked state to function as part of a tray for receiving the sheet-like media from the upper side medium exit in a stacked state together with the lower side tray.
With the stacker apparatus, when a greater number of divisions are required, this requirement can be satisfied by mounting the upper side tray into the tray holder and using both of the upper side tray and the lower side tray as a discharging destination. However, when a high stacking capacity of a tray is required, this requirement can be satisfied by removing the upper side tray from the tray holder and integrating the tray holder with the lower side tray so that it functions as part of a tray for stacking sheet-type media from the upper side medium exit together with the lower side tray. Consequently, there is an advantage that the number of trays or the stacking capacity of the trays can be set as required without inviting increase of the cost or increase of the size of the apparatus.
Preferably, the tray holder is supported for pivotal motion around an axis extending horizontally and perpendicularly to the discharging direction of the sheet-like media on a body of the stacker apparatus such that the tray holder is changed over between the first state and the second state by pivotal motion of the tray holder around the axis. With the stacker apparatus, the number of trays can be increased readily or the stacking capacity of a tray can be increased readily.
The stacker apparatus may be configured such that a recess for fitting with the lower side tray when the tray holder is in the second state is formed on the tray holder such that, in a state wherein the lower side tray is fitted in the recess, an inner face of the lower side tray adjacent the medium exits and an outer face of the tray holder adjacent the side trays are in register with each other and the outer face of the tray holder adjacent the side trays functions, together with the inner face of the lower side tray adjacent the medium exits, as a guide for guiding a sheet-like medium from the upper side medium exit and arranging the position of an end portion of the sheet-like medium adjacent the medium exits. With the stacker apparatus, there is an advantage that sheet-type media discharged from the upper side medium exit can be stacked in a good order onto the lower side tray.
The stacker apparatus may be configured such that the tray holder in the second state closes up the lower side medium exit and the stacker apparatus further comprises a detection element for detecting that the tray holder is in the second state, and that the detection element outputs, when it is detected that the tray holder is in the second state, a detection signal as an instruction signal for urging to stop the discharging of a sheet-like medium from the lower side medium exit and discharge a sheet-like medium from the upper side medium exit. With the stacker apparatus, there is an advantage that such a situation that a sheet-type medium is fed into the closed up lower side medium exit to cause paper jamming can be prevented.
A tray full sensor mounted on the tray holder for detecting a fully stacked state of the sheet-like media on the lower side tray when the tray holder is in the first state may be used as the detection element.
In this instance, preferably the tray full sensor includes a lever member mounted on a lower face of the tray holder in the first state above the lower side tray and supported at one end side thereof for pivotal motion on the tray holder, and a sensor element for detecting the other end side of the lever member, and, when the tray holder is in the first state, if the sheet-like media stacked in the lower side tray are not in a fully stacked state, then the other end side of the lever member is positioned spaced away from the sensor element by the weight of the lever member itself, but if the sheet-like media are stacked in a fully stacked state in the lower side tray, then the other end side of the lever member is pushed up to the sensor element by the sheet-like media and detected by the sensor element, whereby the tray full sensor detects the fully stacked state of the sheet-like media. Further preferably, when the tray holder is in the second state, upon the pivotal motion of the tray holder from the first state to the second state, the other end side of the lever member is moved to the position of the sensor element by the weight of the lever member itself and detected by the sensor element, whereby the tray full sensor detects that the tray holder is in the second position. With the stacker apparatus, the fully stacked state of sheet-type media received in a stacked state on the lower side tray and that the tray holder is in the second state described above can be detected by the single tray full sensor, and there is an advantage that the number of parts can be reduced.
In this instance, further preferably the detection signal outputted from the tray full sensor as a result of detection of the other end side of the lever member after discharging of a sheet-like medium from the lower side medium exit is detected is used as an instruction signal for urging to stop the discharging of a sheet-like medium from the lower side medium exit and issue a tray full alarm, and the detection signal outputted from the tray full sensor as a result of detection of the other end side of the lever member although discharging of a sheet-like medium from the lower side medium exit is not detected is used as an instruction signal for urging to stop the discharging of a sheet-like medium from the lower side medium exit and discharge a sheet-like medium from the upper side medium exit. Through the combination with the detection of discharging of a sheet-type medium from the lower side medium exit in this manner, there is an advantage that it can be discriminated readily and with certainty whether the tray full sensor detects a fully stacked state of sheet-type media received in a stacked state on the lower side tray or detects that the tray holder is in the second state described above.
Further, the sensor element may be formed from an optical sensor which detects the other end side of the lever member through a light intercepting movement of the other end side of the lever member. With the stacker apparatus, there is an advantage that a pivotal movement of the tray holder to the second state can be detected with certainty with a simple configuration.
Furthermore, the distance between the upper side tray and the lower side tray and the installation angle of each of the trays may be set so that, before a trailing end of a sheet-like medium discharged from the upper side medium exit is released from discharge rollers at the upper side medium exit, a leading end of the sheet-like medium arrives at the lower side tray. With the stacker apparatus, there is an advantage that the possibility that, when the stacking capacity is increased, a sheet-type medium discharged from the upper side medium exit may be caught or bent when it drops onto the lower side tray can be reduced.
Meanwhile, in order to attain the object described above, according to the present invention, a printing apparatus is characterized in that it comprises a printing station for printing a sheet-like medium and discharging the sheet-like medium from one of two or more medium exits disposed in upward and downward directions, and a stacker station including a plurality of trays for receiving sheet-like media discharged from the two or more medium exits of the printing station separately and individually for the medium exits in a stacked state, that, in the stacker station, between two upper and lower medium exits included in the two or more medium exits, a tray holder on which the upper side tray for receiving the sheet-like media discharged from the upper side medium exit of the two upper and lower medium exits in a stacked state can be removably and securely held is disposed, and that the tray holder is selectively changed over to one of a first state wherein the tray holder securely holds the upper side tray when the upper side tray is mounted thereon and a second state wherein the tray holder releases the upper side tray and operates integrally with the lower side tray provided for receiving the sheet-like media discharged from the lower side medium exit of the two upper and lower medium exits in a stacked state to function as part of a tray for receiving the sheet-like media from the upper side medium exit in a stacked state together with the lower side tray.
With the printing apparatus, when a greater number of divisions are required, this requirement can be satisfied by mounting the upper side tray into the tray holder and using both of the upper side tray and the lower side tray as a discharging destination. However, when a high stacking capacity of a tray is required, this requirement can be satisfied by removing the upper side tray from the tray holder and integrating the tray holder with the lower side tray so that it functions as part of a tray for stacking sheet-type media from the upper side medium exit together with the lower side tray. Consequently, there is an advantage that the number of trays or the stacking capacity of the trays of the stacker station can be set as required without inviting increase of the cost or increase of the size of the apparatus.
The tray holder may be supported for pivotal motion around an axis extending horizontally and perpendicularly to the discharging direction of the sheet-like media on a body of the stacker station such that the tray holder is changed over between the first state and the second state by pivotal motion of the tray holder around the axis. With the printing apparatus, the number of trays of the stacker station can be increased readily or the stacking capacity of a tray can be increased readily through a simple configuration.
The printing apparatus may be configured such that a recess for fitting with the lower side tray when the tray holder is in the second state is formed on the tray holder such that, in a state wherein the lower side tray is fitted in the recess, an inner face of the lower side tray adjacent the medium exits and an outer face of the tray holder adjacent the side trays are in register with each other and the outer face of the tray holder adjacent the side trays functions, together with the inner face of the lower side tray adjacent the medium exits, as a guide for guiding a sheet-like medium from the upper side medium exit and arranging the position of an end portion of the sheet-like medium adjacent the medium exits. With the printing apparatus, there is an advantage that sheet-type media discharged from the upper side medium exit can be stacked in a good order onto the lower side tray.
The printing apparatus may be configured such that the tray holder in the second state closes up the lower side medium exit and the stacker station further includes a detection element for detecting that the tray holder is in the second state, that the printing station includes a control section for controlling operation of the printing station including discharging operations of the sheet-like media from the two or more medium exits, that the detection section outputs, when it is detected that the tray holder is in the second station, a detection signal to the control station, and that, upon reception of the detection signal from the detection section, the control station controls to stop the discharging of a sheet-like medium from the lower side medium exit and discharge a sheet-like medium from the upper side medium exit. With the printing apparatus, there is an advantage that such a situation that a sheet-type medium is fed into the closed up lower side medium exit to cause paper jamming can be prevented.
A tray full sensor mounted on the tray holder for detecting a fully stacked state of the sheet-like media on the lower side tray when the tray holder is in the first state may be used as the detection element.
In this instance, preferably the tray full sensor includes a lever member mounted on a lower face of the tray holder in the first state above the lower side tray and supported at one end side thereof for pivotal motion on the tray holder, and a sensor element for detecting the other end side of the lever member, and, when the tray holder is in the first state, if the sheet-like media stacked in the lower side tray are not in a fully stacked state, then the other end side of the lever member is positioned spaced away from the sensor element by the weight of the lever member itself, but if the sheet-like media are stacked in a fully stacked state in the lower side tray, then the other end side of the lever member is pushed up to the sensor element by the sheet-like media and detected by the sensor element, whereby the tray full sensor detects the fully stacked state of the sheet-like media. Further preferably, when the tray holder is in the second state, upon the pivotal motion of the tray holder from the first state to the second state, the other end side of the lever member is moved to the position of the sensor element by the weight of the lever member itself and detected by the sensor element, whereby the tray full sensor detects that the tray holder is in the second position. With the printing apparatus, the fully stacked state of sheet-type media received in a stacked state on the lower side tray and that the tray holder is in the second state described above can be detected by the single tray full sensor, and there is an advantage that the number of parts can be reduced.
In this instance, further preferably the printing apparatus is configured such that a discharge sensor is provided for outputting a discharge detection signal to the control section when the discharge sensor detects that a sheet-like medium is discharged to each of the two or more medium exits, and the control section controls, when the detection signal is received form the tray full sensor after the discharge detection signal is received from the discharge sensor for the lower side medium exit, to stop the discharging of a sheet-like medium from the lower side medium exit and urges to issue a tray full alarm, but controls, when the detection signal is received from the tray full sensor although no discharge detection signal is received from the discharge sensor for the lower side medium exit, to stop the discharging of a sheet-like medium from the lower side medium exit and discharge a sheet-like medium from the upper side medium exit. Where the discharge sensor is combined with the tray full sensor in this manner, there is an advantage that it can be discriminated readily whether the tray full sensor detects a fully stacked state of sheet-type media received in a stacked state on the lower side tray or detects that the tray holder is in the second state described above.
Furthermore, the sensor element may be formed from an optical sensor which detects the other end side of the lever member through a light intercepting movement of the other end side of the lever member. With the printing apparatus, there is an advantage that a pivotal movement of the tray holder to the second state can be detected with certainty with a simple configuration.
Further, the distance between the upper side tray and the lower side tray and the installation angle of each of the trays may be set so that, before a trailing end of a sheet-like medium discharged from the upper side medium exit is released from discharge rollers at the upper side medium exit, a leading end of the sheet-like medium arrives at the lower side tray. With the printing apparatus, the possibility that a sheet-type medium discharged from the upper side medium exit may be caught or bent when it drops onto the lower side tray can be reduced, and this is particularly effective where the length of the sheet-type medium discharged from the upper side medium exit is initially known.
Furthermore, the printing apparatus may be configured that, when the control section recognizes that, while it is detected by the detection section that the tray holder is in the second state, the length in the discharging direction of a sheet-like medium designated as a printing object from the outside is shorter than the length of a discharge line for the sheet-like medium from discharge rollers of the upper side medium exit to the lower side tray, the control section controls to stop the discharging of a sheet-like medium from the upper side medium exit and urges to issue an alarm. With the printing apparatus, there is an advantage that, even if the length of a sheet-type medium discharged from the upper side medium exit is not initially known or is not always fixed, the possibility that a sheet-type medium discharged from the upper side medium exit may be caught or bent when it drops onto the lower side tray can be reduced.